Monday, November 3, 2014

The Evolution Of Kung Fu Styles

By Patty Goff


The phrase kung Fu is mostly used by the people from china mainly to denote to any action that involves utilization of patience, time and also vigor. In the western part of the world, when this phrase is mentioned one will first thinks about martial arts that were initiated in China. This art usually is associated with many fighting techniques which can be put in different groups. There are numerous kung Fu styles which have existed for numerous years.

As much as there have been new techniques invented in the recent past, most of them are just evolutions of the old ones that have been used for a long time. They vary in different places because many people say that they reflect the different ways that different people live. The first category is the hard and soft styles. The soft ones involve the techniques of diverting momentum to tamper with the posture of the opponent. After the opponent loses their balance, defeating them becomes easier.

In the soft kind of fighting, the fighter is required to use a lot of skills and internal force. The hard ones on the other hand only need one to be strong. They require too much force for one to win in these fights. The kind of force that the fighters use, these techniques can also be classified according to the type of motion used. There are linear and circular techniques which attack directly and to the side respectively.

There are also the internal and external techniques. The internal ones mainly focus on the intangible factors such as body control, meditation, mind control and also perception. These techniques can also be referred to as the mystical techniques and they are also a part of the soft techniques. The external ones however work through the release of body force. In these types of techniques, a lot of body strength and posture is required.

The kung Fu masters usually learn new things from their surroundings. For this reason, there are very many techniques that have been adopted from the behaviors of different animals. For instance there is a very famous technique that was adopted from the monkeys known as the monkey style.

The numbers of kung Fu techniques that are available are countless. Some of them that can be mentioned include the white crane, dragon style, praying mantis etc. From their names, it is easy to tell that they have been invented from the behaviors of some creatures. There are however others that are just invented with no motivation.

It is not all techniques of fighting have survived the many years that have come to pass. One can learn any technique extensively by seeking the guidance of a master. This is a game that does not only improve the ability of a person to fight; it is also a spiritual progress that can have a great impact on the emotions of the participant.

In the past, the martial arts were invented mainly for self-defense and spiritual purposes. However, today they are used as a game where the trainees fight in different fighting competitions in diverse locations around the world.




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